Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara out for remainder of season with ACL injury

McNamara went down in the first quarter against Michigan State and did not return.

October 3, 2023

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara stands on the sidelines with crutches after getting injured in the first quarter during a football game between Iowa and Michigan State at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. The Hawkeyes defeated the Spartans, 26-16.

Iowa starting quarterback Cade McNamara is out for the remainder of the season with a left ACL injury, head coach Kirk Ferentz announced Tuesday.

Ferentz said the quarterback will have surgery next week and has intentions of returning to the Hawkeyes next season for his final year of eligibility.

Ferentz said that the hope is that McNamara will be fully healthy for next season’s fall camp.

“The good news is he should be fine once recovery is over,” Ferentz said. “Hopefully he can be the Cade McNamara that he wants to be.”

The Reno, Nevada, native, went down in the first quarter against Michigan State. The Michigan transfer tried to scramble under pressure on second down deep in Iowa territory. He moved up in the pocket, made a cut off of his left leg, and went down on the turf. After a couple of minutes, he was helped off the field by trainers and couldn’t put any pressure on his left leg.

After reaching the sidelines, McNamara went into the medical tent and was then carted off into the tunnel. He later came back on the sidelines using crutches and had a wrap around his left knee.

This is far from the first time McNamara has faced adversity. The quarterback had right knee surgery in November 2022, and just when he started feeling 100 percent, he suffered a right quad injury in Iowa’s open spring practice, forcing him to miss two weeks of practice.

McNamara started all five games for the Hawkeyes this season as he continued recovering from the quad injury. He threw for 505 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions on 90 attempts.

Wisconsin transfer Deacon Hill came for McNamara against Michigan State and finished with 115 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 27 attempts. Ferentz said Hill will start at quarterback this week against Purdue with Joe Labas at backup.

“He’s had more than his share of obstacles and challenges from a health standpoint,” Ferentz said of McNamara. “Your heart goes out to guys when they’re fighting hard to have a chance to go out and compete and don’t have that opportunity due to health challenges.”

About the Contributors

Kenna Roering, Sports Editor

she/her/hers

Kenna Roering is The Daily Iowan's sports editor. She is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism with a minor in sports and recreation management. Kenna previously worked as a sports reporter for men's wrestling and volleyball and was the summer sports editor in 2023. This is her second year with the DI.

Ayrton Breckenridge, Managing Visuals Editor

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Ayrton Breckenridge is the Managing Visuals Editor at The Daily Iowan. He is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism and cinema. This is his fourth year working for the DI.